U.S. GIRLS' JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP

July 20, 2023

Gianna Clemente

USAF Academy Eisenhower Golf Club

Press Conference

Q. Glad to get done before the darkness?

GIANNA CLEMENTE: Definitely.

Q. That was quite a match. You guys put on quite a show out there.

GIANNA CLEMENTE: Yeah, I mean, that was definitely expected. I played with Anna a lot. She's very accomplished, very experienced as well. So definitely expected that. Knew that I had to make a lot of birdies. Knew that she was going to as well.

Q. Do you feel like you had to step up your game? Because I know you said you haven't been making a lot of birdies so far in match play.

GIANNA CLEMENTE: I knew the birdies would come, it was just a matter of time. The putts definitely fell a little bit more today than they have yesterday and in stroke play. I knew I was rolling it well, it just was matter of whether they were going to drop or not. Yeah, definitely made a couple more birdies than expected today, so it was a good day.

Q. When you see a person across from you in that caliber, does that kind of raise your game to another level, knowing who you're playing? Do you kind of get up for something like that when you're playing a top player?

GIANNA CLEMENTE: I mean, I think that obviously, as I said before, I played with Anna a ton. I played with her last week as well.

Q. You played against her.

GIANNA CLEMENTE: Yeah, I did. (Laughing.) And, yeah, I knew how good she was. And despite her making a couple bogeys on the first couple holes I knew she was going to come back from that. She did. She made three birdies in a row. You just kind of have to take that and just say, you know, it's up and down in match play. But, yeah, definitely knew that I needed to step up my game.

Q. You guys were kind of spent the delay together in the players lounge? You and Kiara.

GIANNA CLEMENTE: Yeah, we did.

Q. What kind of talk, was there a little smack talking going on or just fun teenage talk?

GIANNA CLEMENTE: Just teenage talk. Me and Kiara and Anna are pretty close friends and we have known each other for awhile now. So, yeah, despite me Anna both knowing that we were about to go off against each other we were just kind of laughing and waiting for the rain delay to be over.

Q. Was there any chatter on the golf course or no?

GIANNA CLEMENTE: Definitely not.

Q. Your dad says that's about five hours that they're not going to talk to each other.

GIANNA CLEMENTE: I kind of knew that was coming. I don't really talk much during match play anyways and neither does Anna. So that was pretty much expected.

Q. 8 & 1 match play record now in the Girls Junior. Why do you have such good success in match play? What's, what ticks inside of you that --

GIANNA CLEMENTE: I just really like match play. I always have. I think we kind of saw that at the USGA Four-ball earlier this year as well. Even though you have a partner, match play's still really different. Definitely something that I enjoy more. I think it's more fun. Yeah, feel like just the up and down of match play is something that I feel like I can handle. I just think it's more fun.